The wild hunt - Spoilers

This is going to be a major spoiler thread so please avoid it if you still playing the game

I am bit confused about the wild hunt and have some random questions,

Both Geralt and Yennefer dies at the end of the books (?). They are brought to life by the girl Ciri(?). They go off and live in an island. Is this bit in the books or they made this up for the game?

The Wild Hunt (elves from another world) takes Yennefer (they want Geralt too but he somehow escape?). Geralt goes in search of her and meet up with Letho and Co. They help him and they eventually find the Wild Hunt (how do they find the hunt?).

Once they find the Hunt, Geralt exchange himself for Yennefer. Why does the Hunt agree for the exchange?

Both Geralt and Yennefer are amnesia after they have been taken by the Hunt. Does it explained why you get that?

Geralt somehow escaped from the Hunt (may be let go). This is the starting point of the first game (?). Do we know how/why? I don't think its explained in W2.

Well as far as the game is concerned, it's not explained why The Hunt exchanged Yennefer for Geralt. I guess we're supposed to assume they valued him more for some reason. The amnesia is also never explained, and neither is Geralt escaping/released by The Hunt.

Afaik, the plots of both Witcher games are unique, and not directly related to any of the books.

I know that I was disappointed with the revelation of what/who The Hunt actually are though. I was expecting something more interesting than elves from another dimension.

Originally Posted by JDR13
Afaik, the plots of both Witcher games are unique, and not directly related to any of the books.

I may be wrong here but my understanding was that the games take place after the books have ended. So games stories are unique but they are still follow on from the books but made up by CDP rather than the original author.

For example Geralt and Yennefer dies in the books and thats where the book end(?) and the games acknowledged this and continue from there on. So the games are related to the books. I hope I am making sense.

The thing I wasn't sure of is, how did Geralt and Yennefer come back to life. From what I read on the web its Ciri who brings them back to life. I wanted to know if thats from the book or somehow from the game or people just made that up

Originally Posted by JDR13
I know that I was disappointed with the revelation of what/who The Hunt actually are though. I was expecting something more interesting than elves from another dimension.

I wish it was something more as well. I am sort of getting tired of time travel and alternate universes as plot devices!

Originally Posted by lostforever
I wish it was something more as well. I am sort of getting tired of time travel and alternate universes as plot devices!

But I wouldn´t say the series go exactly overboard with these devices and, well, it´s not something CDProjekt came up on their own - afaik time travel, alternate worlds/"spheres" and Wild Hunt explanation are featured in the books as well.
Can´t say how well it works in the books it´s featured though.

Personally I find the notion of Wild Hunt being elves invading from the world where they were never oppressed by humans rather intriguing explanation with further potential for interesting development (or something dull/clichéd, depends on execution obvs). Basically, I think it might end up being "something more", just depends on what CDProjekt will do with it.

Originally Posted by lostforever
Geralt somehow escaped from the Hunt (may be let go). This is the starting point of the first game (?). Do we know how/why? I don't think its explained in W2.

Originally Posted by lostforever
They help him and they eventually find the Wild Hunt (how do they find the hunt?).

I don´t think we´re supposed to really know any of these, but:
a) iirc, at the end of The Witcher 1, The King of Wild Hunt claims Geralt is their tool to spread chaos, or something similarly vague, and it´s something Geralt agreed to
b) in the epilogue, Letho implies the School of the Viper might´ve been founded for the sole purpose of tracking the Wild Hunt, my theory is they´re all epic level astronomers.

I think that having an ongoing mystery which gets progressively unveiled along each game´s self contained main stories is pretty cool.
I just wish that revealing the memory bits in The Witcher 2 would be something player has to actively engage in, instead of these being tackled on main story parts.

Btw, what about the assassin who tried to kill Foltest in the first game?
That´s something which is not part of the "ongoing mystery" and it wasn´t sufficiently addressed I think (I assumed the guy was from the same school as Letho, but his relation to Letho or the party which tracked the Wild Hunt with Geralt was never explained).

Originally Posted by zahratustra
Wild Hunt as elves from another dimension is something thought up by CD Project Red. Sapkowski describes it as something rather different: http://witcher.wikia.com/wiki/Wild_Hunt

The entry doesn´t go much into detail, but it sounds pretty much exactly like it is in The Witcher 2:
"In reality, the "Wild Hunt" were not spectres at all, but an elven cavalry lead by Eredin Bréacc Glas and known as the Dearg Ruadhri, or "Red horsemen" in Elder Speech."

"Eredin Bréacc Glas is an elf and leader of an elven cavalry known as the Dearg Ruadhri, or "Red horsemen". He killed Auberon Muircetach, mostly likely unwittingly. He and Avallac'h, another elf were the true rulers of the Aen Elle."

"The Aen Elle are elves who inhabit another world, unlike the Aen Seidhe who came to the Continent on their white ships before the humans appeared."

The only difference is that wiki doesn´t explicitly state whether "another world" is another dimension or not, but given Wild Hunt´s properties and the fact multidimensionality is part of the lore (Conjunction of Spheres and such), the explanation in The Witcher 2 seems to be in accordance with the novels.

But I haven´t read the newer novels (just short stories and the first part of the saga about 15 years ago ). Have you?

Originally Posted by azarhal
The Wild Hunt is a real life myth(s) and it have been used in various novels and stories through history.

I actually expecting the explanation given by the game (minus the elves stuff).

I'm not exactly sure which path they are taking in the game. Sapkowski used a known myth and changed it in his own way, as he always did. I don't know if there's consistency between the books and the game, maybe it will be more apparent in the part III. Witcher I focused on the demonic aspect of the Wild Hunt and some ridiculous talks with the King of the Wild Hunt about destiny. Part II mentions kidnapping Yennefer by the Wild Hunt, hunting the Wild Hunt by a group of witchers, meeting the Wild Hunt and taking Geralt's soul under the Hanged Men's Tree in exchange for Yennefer. Whereas in the books, first there are descriptions of the Wild Hunt as spectral horsemen who are harbingers of war, death and misfortune. People fall victim to some kind of mass madness when they see the horsemen and join them. Geralt says to Yen in one of the stories that he was offered money to dispose of the Wild Hunt but he rejected the offer because there's no way to deal with them. Much later, in the saga — if I remember correctly — the spectres are either the way of masking the presence of ancient elves from another world in the world of the witcher or the elven horsemen from another world are mistaken for the Wild Hunt by narrow-minded peasants. Anyway, the elven "commando" is looking for Ciri through time and space, Geralt and Yen are looking for Ciri, too, and it is Ciri who is the most important.

Originally Posted by DeepO
Personally I find the notion of Wild Hunt being elves invading from the world where they were never oppressed by humans rather intriguing explanation with further potential for interesting development (or something dull/clichéd, depends on execution obvs). Basically, I think it might end up being "something more", just depends on what CDProjekt will do with it.

Hard to avoid clichés to my taste. How frequent the topic of foreign invasions have grown in current days games. Could not help thinking of other games when getting this revelation.

Btw, what about the assassin who tried to kill Foltest in the first game?
That´s something which is not part of the "ongoing mystery" and it wasn´t sufficiently addressed I think (I assumed the guy was from the same school as Letho, but his relation to Letho or the party which tracked the Wild Hunt with Geralt was never explained).

Well, witchers are supposed to be on the verge of going extinct. At least for Geralt's school. Letho's school sounds in no better shape. Trouble is that Letho stated the names of the remaining Viper witchers on the path (or not) Reads like Geralt knows of the two other involved in the Kingslayer's plan, the two ones who accompanied Letho and Geralt. And the others are told to be hidding.

Where did that assassin witcher come from? Viper school does not look like a possibility if Letho is to be trusted. This said, I decided over letting him leave because I felt he had more to tell.

Heavy spoilers (if you haven't read the books yet and still plan to do it, don't read this), if that, at that point, still matters to you:

First of, the games are a continuation of the story in all 7 books. Everything that happened in the books is true in the games too. In fact, the games are filled with references to all kinds of information from the books, let alone, that it's set in the same world. CDP did a wonderful job at that. More often than not, they stayed true to the books. I've read them all and am very pleased.

Here's my theory/understanding concerning the wild hunt: A major part of the books is about Ciri, the last (?) descendant of Lara Dorren (referenced in the games all the time, there are even several books about her in Witcher 1). Her genetic makeup is considered to be very special. Long story short: It's part of her ability, to travel between worlds. Everyone is after her and wants to possess/control her to have this power himself. This is connected with Geralt, because he found Ciri as a child and protected her, he basically became her father (and Yennefer was basically the mom - even Triss Merigold liked/cared for Ciri) and they became very important to each other. At Kaer Morhen, the witchers even gave Ciri the witcher training (without the mutations though), so she's capable of fighting like them, without their speed.
There's a scene in the books, where Ciri has to flee into another world/dimension and she becomes prisoner of certain elves. Their leader wants to have kids with her, because of her gift/genes. Ciri naturally isn't very happy about this and just wants to be free/go her own way. She wants to escape from these elves and when she even learns, that the elves of this world murdered all the humans, nothing holds her back and she successfully flees.

Since we know learned, that the wild hunt are in some connection with elves from another world, I assume it's those elves, who always wanted to possess Ciri and use her to their own ends. If that's true, it makes perfect sense, that the wild hunt is basically a search party to find Ciri and get her back.
Geralt and Yennefer are both very important to Ciri and vice versa, so it's only logical that pursuing them could be a method to find Ciri by exploiting that bond and/or force her out of hiding. Maybe the elves even believe, that Geralt knows where Ciri is and might lead them to her.
I think there's a lot to this theory, since it makes more and more sense, the longer I think about it.

Of course there's more (especially the parts concerning story from the books), but it's enough text as it is.

PS: This is even consistent with The Witcher 1, because at the end The Wild Hunt appears and wants Jaques de Aldersberg (who is also of the elder blood!) and if Geralt refuses, the wraith has to be fought…

Originally Posted by lostforever
Isn't Ciri dead now right? or "gone". If so, these elves don't know about it?

No Ciri is alive and kicking. She just lives in another world now - possibly unreachable by her foes. It's even specifically mentioned in the game. Here's a screenshot (careful a little NSFW) from The Witcher 2: http://i.imgur.com/3ur5M.jpg

Originally Posted by JDR13
I don't think Jaques de Aldersberg was of Elder blood though.

It's "strongly suggested" in the first game though. He being a source [1] and all (although it's possible to be a source without being of the elder blood - but the references were too many IMHO).

[1]

Among sources, the descendants of Lara Dorren are regarded as even more special.

Moreover, not every Source attributes their magical skills to the presence of Lara's genes. A few, in whom the mutation has occurred, are marked by extraordinary abilities. They are able to travel through time and space and possess certain magical abilities. These talents are, however, wild and uncontrolled, manifesting themselves in times of stress or strong emotions, surprising even their possessors.

It's certainly possible that Aldersberg had Elder blood, but imo his powers were the result of a genetic mutation, or something similar.

Yeah, this point is ambiguous, I give you that, but it's said throughout the game how "special" and "strong" he is (in his ability as a source). Triss Merigold also starts to explain what the elder blood is to Geralt (in her house in the trade quarter), after Alvin was brought to her etc…
This definitely points to him as being a descendant. Why else put in all the hints. The game's story would have worked just as well without that.

And the list just contains all the characters from the books, who were confirmed as descendants of Lara.

It also makes sense to me why CDP would be careful to change/add stuff to the lore of the books, they were always very respectful in their handling of it. Leaving such points ambiguous would then definitely be the preferred choice.

Originally Posted by Malkavian
Yeah, this point is ambiguous, I give you that, but it's said throughout the game how "special" and "strong" he is (in his ability as a source). Triss Merigold also starts to explain what the elder blood is to Geralt (in her house in the trade quarter), after Alvin was brought to her etc…
This definitely points to him as being a descendant. Why else put in all the hints. The game's story would have worked just as well without that.

We'll just agree to disagree on that then. I didn't interpret the events in the first game that way. It's also not mentioned at all in the character entries for either Alvin or Aldersberg at The Witcher Wiki, which I would find highly unlikely if that was indeed a common theory.

Originally Posted by JDR13
Well as far as the game is concerned, it's not explained why The Hunt exchanged Yennefer for Geralt. I guess we're supposed to assume they valued him more for some reason. The amnesia is also never explained, and neither is Geralt escaping/released by The Hunt.

Afaik, the plots of both Witcher games are unique, and not directly related to any of the books.

I know that I was disappointed with the revelation of what/who The Hunt actually are though. I was expecting something more interesting than elves from another dimension.